In a letter to the chief executives of leading independent healthcare providers, the Health and Social Care Secretary has demanded urgent assurances from the sector that it will take rapid action to improve its openness and transparency.

“Like many of my predecessors on both sides of the political divide, I believe that the independent sector can play a useful role in adding capacity, promoting innovation and offering patients choice,” he said.

“However, if the sector is to partner with the NHS and benefit from our world-leading medical training, we need urgent assurances that the independent sector will get its house in order on safety, as well as a commitment to take rapid action to match the NHS’ world-recognised progress on transparency.”

Robust action

The areas the letter outlines to be addressed include looking at what similarly robust action could be taken to ensure rapid improvement at an independent hospital when rated “inadequate” by the CQC, and greater transparency when patient safety mistakes have been made.

The CQC’s report highlighted a number of examples of poor practice, in addition to wide variation in the way different providers managed quality of care. Different providers managed governance in different ways with some relying on informal arrangements based on relationships, rather than formal systems, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

The CQC said that where problems were identified in its inspections, independent providers made improvements quickly, but there is clearly scope for action to be taken to address concerns in vital areas, and the report recognises the NHS has much to teach the independent sector.

Mr Hunt has given the sector two weeks to provide a response with clear actions set out.

Professor Colin Leys, co-chair of the CHPI think tank, told i: “This order is an acknowledgement that the way in which private hospitals carry on their business poses risks to patients. It is also a recognition that the regulation of private hospitals by the CQC has so far failed to tackle these risks.

“Despite numerous calls for reforms – including from the Health Select Committee as far back as 1999 – and despite the thousands of people affected by the Ian Paterson scandal, which left hundreds of women maimed and injured – the private sector’s business model has not changed one bit. Therefore it is highly likely that a much stronger intervention by Parliament will be required to address the risks identified by the CHPI and now acknowledged by the Secretary of State.

“With around 600,000 NHS patients now being treated in private hospitals each year it is essential that GPs and other clinicians referring patients to private hospitals are aware of the risks that their patients will face, and they should make patients aware as well”

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